Friday, February 23, 2007

WPXI in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH -- Soldiers who were paralyzed, suffered brain damage and lost limbs owe the government enlistment bonus money.They must pay the money back because they didn’t fulfill their tour of duty.

When you go and read the story and/or watch the video of their on air piece, you will notice that not a single person who was paralyzed, suffered brain damage or lost a limb is given as an example of this callous treatment. Does it sound plausible that this could have happened because of a paperwork screwup? Yes. Is it likely that this is policy? No.

I've got a call into Ms. Welles to ask her if she actually spoke with anyone who had to pay back their enlistment bonus after losing a limb, etc. and if so, why they weren't part of her report, rather than the suicidal/homicidal guy in the story?

I've said it before, the military, like any bureaucracy is prone to screw ups. What I don't understand is why people in the press feel the need to invent things to tarnish the military when there are plenty of genuine snafus for them to pounce upon.

I can't definitively say that this is false, but it sure looks shaky to me.

If anyone at Castle Aaaaargh has any information on this, I'd love to hear it.